Weft mechanism for positive motion looms



May 1, 19341. KLEMM 1,957,024

WEFT MECHANISM FOR POSITIVE MOTION LOOMS Filed Dec. 1, 1932 INVENTOI? i. I Abram/5 I i aiented May 1, 19 34 GFFFQE IEFT MECHANISM FOR PGSITIVE MOTION LOOMS' Willy Klemm, Schleiz, in Thueringia, Germany,-

assignor to Emil .laeger, Neustadt,

Ge many (Orla) Application December 1, 1932, Serial No. 6%,161 In Germany May 1'7, 1931 4 Claims.

This invention relates to weft mechanism for positive motion looms, and more particularly to mechanism of this kind primarily designed for use in connection with looms for weaving wire fabrics.

It is the general object and purpose of the present invention to provide such a mechanism which may be operated at very high speeds for laying the weft strands in the Warp shed, while at the same time the desired regulation and control of the movements of the weft carrier in relation to the reversing of the warp shed is obtained to assure the proper laying of the weft strands.

More particularly, the present invention provides a simple and positively operating means for reciprocating the weft carrier across the lay with a rapid reversal of movement at one end of its stroke and a comparatively ion stop or inactive time period at the other end of its stroke.

A further object of the invention is to provide adjustable means in the weft carrier operating mechanism, whereby the length of stroke of the carrier may be yaried as required in the Weaving of fabrics of different widths.

As will be apparent from the following description, my present invention is applicable both to looms of that type in which a weft shuttle is thrown across the lay by the picker on each side of the loom, or in which reciprocating shuttle carriers are provided on opposite sides of the loom, and the shuttle transferred from one carrier to the other at the center of the warp shed, and also to a loom provided with only one weft carrier on one side thereof reciprocating entirely across the warp shed, and to which the weft strand is releasably connected by means of a suitable clamp. In such case, the carrier must have a long dwell or stop when it is outside of the warp shed and while the latter is reversing, while at the opposite side of the shed after the weft strand has been laid and released from the carrier, there is a comparatively short stop of the latter. Thus a material saving in time is realized with increased production of the woven fabric.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention resides in the improved weft mechanism for positive motion looms, and in the form, construction and relative arrangement of its several parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and subsequently incorporated in the sub joined claims.

In the drawing wherein I have illustrated one practical example of my present improvements, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a loom provided with one embodiment of the presrigidly fixed to the outer end of the carrier 5 and 7 has a dovetail sliding connection with the lay 1 as indicated at 6. This weft carrier is movable between rollers 7 mounted on the lay and at its other end carries the roller 8 movable on the track 9 fixed to the lay 1.

The slide 10 is connected by link 11 with the upper end of the picker arm 12, to the lower end of which a yoke 13 is fixed. The arms of this yoke are connected with opposite ends of the rock shaft 13 journalled on a part of the machine frame. One of these yoke arms has a slotted enlargement 13 in which a lever arm 14 is adjustably fixed by the screw 14. This arm 14 is connected at one of its ends with one arm 16 of a cranked lever 17 mounted on the machine frame, by means of the adjustable rod 15. These connections are preferably in the form of ball and socket joints indicated at 18 and 19 respectively. The other arm 20 of lever 17 is connected by rod 21 with the crank 22 fixed to the end of shaft 23 which carries the gear 24 meshing with gear 25 fixed upon the shaft 2.

The connection 19 is preferably adjustable towards or from the axis of lever 17 by means of a threaded spindle mounted in the arm 16 and actuated by hand wheel 26, the intermediate part of the connection 15 being also adjustably connected with opposite end sections by right and left-hand screw threads. By changing the effective lengths of the parts l4, l5 and 16, the length of stroke of the carrier 5 can be varied accordingly to operate in connection with fabric of various web widths. This is important in connection with the weaving of hard wire fabrics in order to properly locate the outer end point of the carrier movement so as to avoid twisting of the edge or border of the web.

From the above description, the operation of the mechanism will be readily understood. As seen in Fig. 2, the weft carrier 5 is at the outer limit of its movement and therefore entirely outside of the warp shed. As seen in Fig. 1, at this time the arm 16 and connection 15 are in substantially parallel relation, as are also the crank 22 and the connection 21 between said crank and lever arm 20. In other words, the crank 22 is at its dead center position. Accordingly, there is a long pause or stop of the carrier 5 at the outer end of its stroke, during which time the warp shed reverses. On the inward movement of the carrier 5, the weft strand is laid in the warp shed either through the medium of a shuttle or by providing a suitable clamp for releasably connecting the weft strand to the end of the carrier and projecting the carrier entirely across the warp shed, where the weft strand is released. In either case, at the inner end of the stroke of the weft carrier, the picker arm 12 and link 11 are in substantially the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, while the lever 17, crank 22 and connection 15 are substantially in the relative positions shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. It will thus be evident that at this end of the stroke, there will be a comparatively short pause or stop of the weft carrier. In the illustrated example of the invention wherein a reciprocating shuttle carrier 5 is provided at each side of the loom, the inward movements of the shuttle carriers take place at the same time, and at the center of the warp shed the weft shuttle is transferred from one carrier to the other. At this time, the warp shed is stationary, and therefore there need be only a very short stop at the inner ends of the strokes of the shuttle carriers, merely sufiicient for the transfer of the shuttle. On the other hand, at the end of the outward strokes of the shuttle carriers, at which time the warp shed reverses, there must be an appreciably longer stop or dwell, before the succeeding inward stroke of each carrier. Thereby, the loom may be operated with great rapidity to secure maximum output of the woven fabric.

In the above description and the accompanying drawing, I have disclosed an embodiment of the invention which has given excellent results in practice. It is, nevertheless, to be understood that insofar as the essential features are concerned, various other arrangements of the mechanical parts of the mechanism might be resorted to to accomplish similar results. Accordingly, it is to be understood that in practice, I reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a loom including a weft carrier mounted for longitudinal reciprocation, a rocker having angularly related cranks, a driving crank spaced from the rocker and disposed substantially in line with the path of movement of one of the cranks of the rocker, a connecting rod between the driving crank and said rocker crank adapted to move through a dead center at each end of the throw of the driving crank, and a linkage including a second connecting rod disposed with reference to the other rocker crank to position the second connecting rod in a dead center position therewith coincident with one of the dead center positions of the first connecting rod to produce a long, dwell in the weft carrier at one end of its reciprocating movement.

2. In a weft machine for looms including a weft carrier mounted for longitudinal reciprocation, a driven crank and means for reciprocating the carrier therefrom so as to give the carrier a rapid reversal at one terminal of movement and a relatively long dwell at its opposite terminal of movement, said means comprising a rocker with angularly related cranks, a link between one of said rocker cranks and said driven crank, a system of linkage between said carrier and the other rocker crank and including a second connecting rod, said rocker and connecting rods disposed relative to said linkage and the driven crank to dispose the first link in a dead center position with the driven crank While the second connecting rod is in a dead center position with its respective rocker crank to provide two dead centers concurrently as the carrier attains one of its terminals of movement.

3. In a weft machine for looms including a lay operating driving gear, a driven gear connected to the driving gear and having a crank, a weft carrier arranged for longitudinal reciprocation along the lay, a rocker with angularly related cranks, a link between said driven crank and one of said rocker cranks adapted in one position to provide a dead center with the driven crank, a picker arm connected with said carrier, link connections between the second rocker crank and said picker arm and including an adjustable connection to control the length of the stroke of the carrier and including a part disposed angularly relative to the rocker to position the part in a dead center position with its respective rocker crank concurrently with the elfective first-named dead center, both of said dead centers being effective as the carrier attains one of its terminals of movement whereby to provide a relatively long inactive period in the movement of the carrier at such terminal.

4. In a weft machine for looms which includes a lay operated from a crank shaft and its driving gear, a weft carrier extending in its longitudinal direction along the lay and mounted thereon for longitudinal reciprocating movement, a rocker device having angular-1y related crank arms, a driven gear actuated by said driving gear and having a crank shaft, a link connected between the latter crank shaft and one of said rocker crank arms whereby to actuate the rocker, a

picker arm with link connections connected between the other of said rocker crank arms and said carrier for controlling the length of the stroke of the carrier, said first link and the link connection of the picker arm being angularly disposed relative to the rocker device to lie simultaneously substantially parallel with their respective driven crank and rocker crank arm to provide a double dead center when said carrier attains one terminal of movement to efiect a relatively long dwell at that terminal of movement, said dead centers taking place but once during each reciprocation by reason of which the carrier receives a quick reversal at its other terminal of movement.

WILLY KLEMM.

"rat 

